Of canton



5 Sheets-Shee: 1

NBlw/r W. M. BLECKER CONTINUOUS SHEET ROLLING METHOD Original Filed Dec.7, 1925 m an April 24. 1928.

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Wt M. BLECKER CONTINUOUS SHEET- ROLLING METHOD original Filed Deo. '7,1925 5 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR 0000000.0-00O0O00O0000QO April 24, 1928.

W. M. BLECKER CQNTINUOUS SHEET ROLLING METHOD original Filed Dec. '7,1925 5 Sheets-She??l 4 INVENTOH April 24, 1928.

W. M. BLECKER CONTINUOUS SHEET ROLLING METHOD Original Filed Deo. 7,1925 5 Sheets-Sheet I/I/.NJSIMCW BY ATTonNEY Patented Apr.` 24, 1928.

v UNITED :s'rATss winLrAM M. BLECKER, ``oi: CANTON, oHIo, nssreivonTOEDWARD A. LANGENBACH;

or CANTON, oHio.

CONTINUOUS-SHEETROLLING METHOD.

Original applicationy filed December 7, `1925, Serial No. 73,597.Divided and this` application filedfJ'un'eO.,

1926. Serial No. 119,675.

`This invention relates tothe continuous rollingof sheet bars, lightplates or slabs into sheets ofdesired gauge, and the object of theimprovement is to provide `a method in which sheet'bars, light plates orslabs are heated and passed continuously through a series ofroughingmills, being matched or piled once, twice or more depending upon thegauge of sheets to be rolled, the pieces being thenl reheated yandautomatically doubled, if sheets under 22 gauge are desired, and thencontinuously passed` through finishing rollsvLthroughside and Aendshearingapparatus, then through a continuous annealing furnace andlinally through sheet `levellingand opening mechanism and onto acooling-table; each succeeding stand of rolls throughout the train beingoperated at a 1 higher speed `than `the preceding rolls in 20 order toaccommodate the increasinglength of the bars or sheets as they4 arepassed through each stand.

. An embodiment of an apparatus for` car rying out the invention isillustrated in the 25 accompanying drawings, in which Figure lris a,plan sectional view of the forward end of the train kof apparatusshowing the bar heating furnaces, wire scrubbing rolls, the first'seriesof .four stands `of 3o roughingmills, the first matching table and thefirst standofthe second series of roughing inills; f'

Fig. v'2, a longitudinal sectional View of x'thesame; f i i Fig.v 3, aplan sectional View showing the continuous ureheating furnace, usedforrolling sheets lighterthan 22 gauge, the remaining three stands ofroughing mills in the'sec- ,Y `ond' series, the second 'matching table`and 40 the first sta-nd of finishing rolls;

` Fig. 4, a longitudinal sectionalview of the,

same

Figj, aplan sectional view showing a continuoussheet reheatin furnacelocated beyond the first stand of nishing rolls, the secondand thirdstandsoffnishmg rolls, a continuous sheet reheating furnace used forlighter than 22 gauge sheets and the fourth stand of finishing rolls;

Fig. 6, a longitudinalsectional` view of the same;

Fig. 7, shows the last two stands of finish ing4 rolls and the sidetrimming apparatus used for heavier than 22 gauge sheets;

Fig. 7a is a view in cross section takenon 1ine.7- a of Fig. 7. l i

F1g.`8, a vertical longitudinal sectioniof the same;

Fig. Qshows the sheet end trimming i paratus, thecontinuous openannealingfun nace and the sheet leveler used for sheets.,

heavier than 22 gauge;

Fig. l0, a vertical longitudinalsection of the same;

Fig. 11, thepack loosening and opening apparatus and cooling table for'sheets'A heavier than 22 gauge;

Fig. 12,

the same; i

Fig. 13, a plan sectional view of the doubling apparatus, continuousopensheet furr `straightening rolls which succeed y those shown in Fig.14;

Fig. 16, a vertical longitudinal section of the same;

Fig 17, a plan sectional view ofthe vside4 and end shearing apparatusand packloosening and opening mechanism for lighter than' 22 gaugesheets; l Fig. 18, a vertical the same;

Fig. 19', a plan view of 4the cooling table locited beyond the packopening mechanism, an i the same. 1 p

Simllar numerals of reference `indicate corresponding parts throughoutthel draw`- ings.

nacesl are provided for heating sheet bars,

light plates or slabs which are'placed on edge` in thefuruace asindicated at 2.andl continui ously moved therethrough as by a pusher 3,

the bars being pushed from the furnaceqonei at a time, as they areproperly heated, and

dropped flatwise upon a roller table 4`upon; which they are carriedbetween a pair of wire scrubbing rolls 5` which remove the loose oxidefrom the bars. y The bar y is then passed successively longitudinalAsection ofi Fig. 20, a vertical longitudinal section `(if One or morecontinuous ybar heating furff a vertical longitudinalsection of `1through .four lstands of iroughing mills indicatedcat 6,V 7, 8 and 9each of Which is operated at a higher speed than the next preceding;stand. The piece is entered into the bite of the rolls of each stand hyan automatic straightening and conveying device Which comprises a pai'rofV endless chains 10 mounted upon sprockets or rollers 11 drivenpreferably 1byan electric motor which drives the adjacent stand ofrolls.

Each pair of these chains is connected by a. bar or rod 12 arrangedto'he engaged hy the piece which automatically throws in a clutch tooperatethe sprockets 11v from the motor. The chains are revolved aroundthe sprockets,` the piece being conveyed upon the chainsinto thebiteoftlie rolls, until the bar` 1'2is again inits original positionwhen .the clutch'is automatically thrown out as by operation `ot `alimit switch.

The bar is reduced in thickness and increased in length as it passesthrough each succeedingr` stand of roughing mills and 'tor this reasoneach succeeding stand is spaced a greater `distance from the precedingstand l and isoperated at a higher speed.

I'n roughing bars for sheets lighter than 22gaugei'thebars as they passthrough the stand 9 of roughing rolls are deposited upon a matchingtable 13.y Thisfmatching table is formed by `inclining ione section otthe table ltoward thecenter as shown at 14. A pair of chains 15 arelocated around sproclo etsl l'carried by this inclined portion oi thetable, said chains being connected by a harlff; v

This matching table is only used for rolling sheets lighter Athan 22gauge. Straightening fingers of usual construction are prei'-` erablyprovided upon the matching table forproperly straightening the pile."When twioisheets havebeen-piled or matched upon the inclined portion ofthe table,` as shown usefonly' wherelight'er than 22gauge sheetsare-@being rolled.` The piles are passed throughH ther stand-19` to aroller table 2O,`

thence throughua stand 21, upon a roller table22and through the finalstand 23, or roughing mills.` Each `of. the stands 18,` 19, 21fand231is1operated at a higher speed than the 11e-Xt preceding stand. i

As the' piles arer passed through the last stand 23 of roughing millsthey are deposited upon another `matching table 24.

v24, the tableY is operated to move the pile into the bite of the rollsot the i'irst stand 25, oil hnishing mills, after which the pile is`passed through .a` small cont-inuousopen ieheatingf furnace 26 and thensuccessively through the stands 27 and 2S ot' finishing mills-and, ifrolling sheets heavier than 22 gauge, through` a continuous open sheetfur.- nace29.`

The usual-rollertables are located het-Ween the stands and suitabletension guides 29a' are provided for properly placingfthe pile in eachstand of rolls. In rolling sheetsot 22 gauge or heavier the pileis thenpassed;`

thrmigftin three successive stands oit' finishing rolls indicated at 30,31 and 32., suitable roller tables `and tension guides being` pro# videdbetween the saine, and Aasi the.pile:

passes through the last stand 32 of finishing rolls'it is receiveduponan endless ccnveyer` table 33 provided with magnets which are`automatically energized asthe pile passest onto the tahle,. thus holdingthe pile.A rigid as it is moved, by the table, throughtherotary shearVblades 34,. which trim the `side edges ol the sheetsto the desiredWidth, as`

shown at 35.

The magnets upon the conveyor 33. are` automatically deenergized as thetrimming ci the side edges of they pilev is completed, releasing thepile'iand carrying it `onto the.

roller tahle 36 by which the pile is conveyed to end trimming shears 37.Wliiohoperate in. a. manner'illustrated in theprior art, to trim theiront and rear ends ot` the pile to the desired length,.the trimmed pilebeing then conveyedby a roller table through anon*` tinuous openannealing furnace 39 andwthen` successively thnough a rolierlevelei' 40and a loosening and opening apparatus 41 which;

may comprise staggered pairs ot rolls 42 which alternatelyyhend the piledirections to loosen the sheets.

This opening device may include a knife 431 located Within a gu1de144,the .pile being dravvnl through this guide and over the knife.

by the rolls 45 which `separate the sheets oi the pile and pass thesaine onto a roller table 46 hv which the sheetslare conveyedto` acooling table `47 of any usual and Well known design. i

In rolling sheetsllighter than 22 gaugmthe apparatus isv slightlydifferent, :trom that ahove deseribedV after the pile: is.` `passedthrough the reheatingfurnace 29. Thepile of light sheets after emergingfrom the furnace 29 is placed upon an automaticrdoublen a pusher 48 orthe like being; used forV this purpose. This doubler comprisesa table50, one-halt` of Which7 as indicated at 51is yin opposite` hinged at thecenter as at 52, a magnet 53 being carried by each'half of the table,close -to the hinge joint.

As the pile is placed .upon this table it engages a stop whichautomatically energizes the magnets` 53, holding the pile rigid upon thetable at points close to the hinge jolnt. At the same time a clutch,connecting a suitable motor with the rocker shaft 54, is thrown in,rotating this rocker shaft in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig.14. This rocker shaft carries a rocker arm 55 connected, by a link 56,with the hinged section 51 of the doubler table throwing this hingedsection into the position shown in dot-ted lines in Fig. 14 and sincethe pile is held by the magnets, only at points close to the hinge, thefree' ends of the sheets in the pile are permitted to open as the pileis doubled, forming a pack as illustrated at 57 in Fig. 14.

Vhen the hinged section of the doubler table reaches the position shownin dotted lines in Fig. 14 fit engages a stop which changes the clutchconnection returning the hinged section to the normal position and atthe same time the magnets are automatically deenergized and the pusher48 operated to move the pack from the doubler and upon a roller table 58by which it is conveyed through a continuous open sheet furnace 59 andthence to' the first stand 60 of a second series of finishing rolls. iThe upper roll 6l of this stand is preferably of larger diameter thanthe lower roll in order to flatten the forward end of the heated pack asitis well known that there is a tendency for this fori vward end of thepack to bend or curve upward as it emerges from the furnace. The pack isthen conveyed through a series of alternate edge straightening rolls `62and finishing rolls 63, each edge straightening roll being considerablysmaller in diameter than the finishing rolls and being smaller at itscenter than at its ends so that the edges of the pack will be rolleddown without l striking the center of the lpack and taking out the formof the preceding rolls, thus placing the pack in the next stand offinishing rolls as near to itsoriginal condition as possible and withoutbreaking the pack open.

Thepack is then conveyed through a side shearing apparatus 34a and endshearing ap-` y paratus 87 similar to the Ashearing apparatus 34 and 37above described and then through a loosening and opening apparatus`IIA-45a similar to the apparatus 41-45 abovedescribed and thence to acooling table 47 of any usual construction."

Thisr application is a division of my copending application forimprovements in continuous sheet rolling apparatus and method,V SerialNumber 73,597, tiled December 7, 1925.

I claim l. 'Ihe method of continuous rolling of sheets from bars and thelike which consists in passing heated barsv successively through a.series of roughing mills, matching and reheating the reduced bars,passing them through a second series of roughing mills, again matchingand reheating them, and passing the matched piles through a series ofiinishing mills, all in a single continuous pass.

2. The method of continuous rolling of sheets from bars and the likewhich consists iu passing heated bars successively through a. series ofroughing mills, matching and reheating the reduced bars, passing themthrough a second series of roughing mills, again matching and reheatingthem, passing the matched piles through a series of iinishing mills,doubling and reheating the piles, and `passing the double packs througha second series ot inishing mills, all in a single continuous pass.

3. The method of continuous rolling of sheets from bars and the likewhich consists in passing heated bars successively through- In testimonythat I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

WILLIAM MQ BLECKER.

